Dustin Penner

The Islanders (8-17-5) recent road trip has begun as miserable as the team’s season thus far, as they dropped both games in St. Louis and Los Angeles, while being outscored 8-1. The Isles have dropped a total of 9 games in a row and their season is on the brink of obscurity.

With the Blackhawks out of Duncan Keith's services for the evening on Thursday night, other players were going to have to step up in a big way.

Unfortunately for Sheldon Brookbank, he wasn't the solution, going -2 and logging just 6:50 of ice time. In comparison, the only forward even close to him in minutes was Viktor Stalberg at 8:47.

However, Johnny Oduya, Michal Rozsival, and Niklas Hjalmarsson were very noticeable in a good way for the game, making up for the missing Keith. Between them, they were +4 with 3 assists, 4 hits and 4 blocked shots.

Once again, the Kings were first on the board, with a goal by Slava Voynov just 3:28 into the ...

It’s a Stanley Cup Final no one saw coming—unless of course one watched the last month and a half of playoff hockey unfold. Two teams that admirably underperformed over the course of an eighty-two game regular season have quickly and loudly transformed into two of the most solid Cup contenders of the last few years.

On one side sits the Eastern Conference Champion Devils, fresh off a vanquishing of heated rival New York Rangers. I know I used the word “loudly” in just the previous paragraph, but the Rangers’ eventual undo...

Anze Kopitar and the Kings win their fifth straight for the first time this year. (photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Needless to say, the Kings offense is certainly clicking at the right time. With a 5-2 win over division rival San Jose Tuesday night, Los Angeles improved their record to 9-3 since the addition of Jeff Carter and vaulted themselves back into the playoff picture for the first time in over a week. With nine games left in the season, the Kings are tied with Phoenix for the eighth seed with eighty-four points.

Mike Richards (who, after an extended post-Christmas slump) netted his third goal of the month...

The Red Wings look to stop the bleeding tonight against the Los Angeles Kings at 7:30 PM. Detroit has been hampered by injuries and has lost their lead atop the NHL, Western Conference and Central Division over the past two weeks.

Detroit now sits four points behind St. Louis in the Central and the West. Los Angeles is battling with San Jose, Phoenix and Dallas for 1st in the Pacific Division. Only 5 points separate division head Dallas and Los Angeles. The race in the Pacific is especially important because it is possible that the division winner could be the only member of the division to make the playoffs if Colorado and Calgary make it in.

Following two losses in the first two games of their road-trip east, the Kings looked everything but confident heading into a nationally televised game in Tampa Bay. However, any offensive rust was shaken off rather quickly and a defensive performance like no other propelled the team to a 3-1 victory earlier tonight.

The Kings notched only one goal in their previous 120 minutes of play, but recorded three tallies on a mere twenty shots against a struggling Dwayne Roloson en route to their twe...

Justin Williams (14) gives scores his gives his team a 2-1 lead. The Kings are 73-0-5 since April 2009 when leading after two periods. (photo courtesy of NHL.com)

After all, the Kings were due for a win. The team has been alternating winning and losing efforts since the twenty-eighth of December (that’s eleven games and nearly three weeks). It’s a stretch that surely frustrates head coach Darryl Sutter, but nonetheless has the boys in white earning a pivotal two points earlier tonight.

A goaltender duel of sorts featuring Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo took the game to an extra overtime period and s...

The Kings are now 7-1-3 under Darryl Sutter. (photo courtesy of NHL.com)

If one were to get caught up in all the subplots surrounding last night’s game between Los Angeles and Calgary, one might forget that there actually was, you know, sixty minutes of hockey to be played. Yes, one Sutter (Darryl) went toe-to-toe with another (Brent) and Mike Cammalleri scored in his much ballyhooed return to the Flames, but it was Darryl and the Kings who came out on top by a 4-1 score.

After a scoreless and offensively challenged first period for the Kings, they would quickly grab two in a three-minute span. Mike Richards ...

Jack Johnson after scoring his second period goal and shortly before "Tebowing" in celebration. (photo courtesy of NHL.com)

There is no doubt that Jonathan Quick is the MVP of the Kings’ season at the halfway mark. His numbers have been terrific and his play has consistently been unparalleled. Thus, it only makes sense that his team would break out of their prolonged offensive slump and erupt for five goals (not to mention one of which was scored on the power play)…all with their starting goaltender riding the pine.

Back-up Jonathan Bernier was given the spot-start and also an atypical amount...

Much like Velma Kelly, Jonathan Quick cannot do it alone. (photo courtesy of NHL.com)

This has to be heartbreaking for Jonathan Quick. The goal he allowed 11:25 into the second period effectively sealed the win for Columbus and gave Los Angeles their first loss in regulation under Coach Darryl Sutter. It was the only goal he gave up and yet, his team was unable to score just once to turn the contest the slightest bit competitive.

Perhaps most alarming of all was the Kings’ inability to net a single power play goal in eight attempts, which included a combined 2:03 of two-man advantage time. They were even give...